The American Civil Liberties Union has accused the FBI of the racial profiling of minorities through systematic analysis.

Standing their claims on FBI documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the ACLU said the Feds use a systematic way for racially profiling, linking criminal behaviors with certain racial and ethics groups, according to a report by the Huffington Post.

The Union also claims the FBI then uses U.S census data to map the location of those communities in order to launch investigations.

In a statement to Attorney General Eric Holder, the ALCU said it possesses “grave concerns about the overbroad investigative authorities.” They also pointed out mounting evidence, “that the FBI is illegally and unconstitutionally targeting innocent Americans for investigation based upon their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and political activities protected under the First Amendment.”

ACLU findings also noted that the FBI:

— Noted an increase in the “black/African American populations in Georgia” and non-violent protests by the African-American community in the state after police shootings to identify potential threats from “Black Separatist” groups.
— Used the fact that San Francisco is “home to one of the oldest Chinatowns in North America and one of the largest ethnic Chinese populations outside mainland China” to justify opening an investigation involving racial and ethnic mapping because within the community “there has been organized crime for generations.”
–Used the threat posed by the criminal gang MS-13, originally started by Salvadoran immigrants, to justify broad investigations targeting Latino communities in Alabama, New Jersey and Georgia.
–Sought to collect information about Muslim and Arab communities in Michigan “because Michigan has a large Middle Eastern and Muslim population, [so] it is prime territory for attempted radicalization and recruitment by … terrorist groups.”

“Targeting entire communities for investigation based on erroneous stereotypes produces flawed intelligence,” said Michael German, ACLU senior policy counsel. “Experience shows that terrorists and criminals do not fit into neat racial or religious stereotypes — law enforcement programs based on evidence and facts are effective, and a system of bias and mass suspicion is not.”